2019-C Quanta Terra Pouca Terra Tinto, Douro, Portugal (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Founded in 1998, Quanta Terra is the dream of two reputed Douro winemakers, Celso Pereira and Jorge Alve. Together they scoured the Douro Valley for the better part of a year, extensively researching soils, vines, grafts, exposure, altitude, slope, grape varietals and vine age, to find the perfect vineyard site for their winery. Eventually a vineyard site was selected in Tralhão, in the Douro Superior sub-region of the Douro.
They produced their first wine in 1999, and have been making artisanal wines from their vineyard, Quinta do Tralhão, ever since. In 2007 they began a new project—the production of white wines. They also renovated and turned a historic distillery into their new tasting room, where they showcase their terroir-driven wines, and share the history of the Douro Valley and its network of aguardente distilleries, which supplied the local Port houses with neutral grape brandy used to fortify their Ports.
Quinta do Tralhão currently has approximately 10 hectares under vine, all in Douro Superior. The vineyard is sustainably farmed and planted to indigenous varietals. The Pouca Terra Tinto comes from older vines planted at a higher altitude near the plateau of Alijo, which benefits from the colder nights and dry summer climate. The grapes—a field blend with Touriga Franca as the dominant grape—were picked by hand before being destemmed and crushed. Fermentation took place in rotating tubs for 6 - 10 days. The wine was then aged in secondhand French oak.
Red fruit, some floral notes, quite fresh and pretty—elegant even. Sappy tannins. Delicious.